PANDRAN (Cave at)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A man-made rock chamber with grave (“cave burial” of male skeletons, 25 skulls, heap of bones, “charpoy” rope bed) consisting of a front chamber (5.5 by 4.9 m, vaulted roof) and two recesses, excavated from conglomerate (or so). SITUATION: At the skirt of an elevated rock known as Anbir, which lies 400 m west of Pandran (note 1), a village (in 1902 comprised of 6 shops, 50 houses), south-east of Kalat in the Jalawan county (Jhalawan Subdivision). CAVE POTENTIAL: Not only the rumour of a second rock chamber containing women’s skeletons (note 2) has been heard but also of a third similar cave at –>Nichara (note 3). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1903: Due west of the village [Pandaran], at a distance of about a quarter of a mile [circa 400 m], is an extraordinary cave situated in the skirt of the hill [Anbir]. All the ground round is rolling, and in the side of one of the folds is a hole just big enough for a large man to squeeze through. It is said that this hole was uncovered and exposed to view bya flood of erosion some 50 or 60 years ago [circa 1840-1850]. On entering the hole, which is almost in the centre, one finds oneself in an underground vault consisting of a front chamber and two recesses. The breadth of the chamber is about 16 feet [5.5 m] and the length to the back of each chamber about 16 feet [4.9 m]. The recesses are round, with domed roofs, and the front chamber has a domed roof. The whole appears to have been hewn out of the conglomerate rock… [heap of bones, a niche about 15 cm wide, 75 cm high and 90 cm deep, skulls, skeleton of a man on a bed of rounded wood in good condition, skeleton of a large dog]. The natives point to another place about 20 yards away and say that there is another vault there in which women's skeletons are to be found. No one living appears to have ever entered the second cave, if it exists as alleged. The natives hold the place in considerable awe, and have a theory that the place was the scene of a fight. The whole vault was extraordnarily symmetrical (MACLEOD 1903: 342-343, plate opposite page 342). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1908: A curious vaulted burial chambers cut in the slope of the hill near Pandaran (GAZETTEER OF BALUCHISTAN 1908 edited 1989, 1991: 172). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1986: A reputedly large unknown cave exists near Pindaran [sic!] village (CÍLEK, V 1988; CÍLEK, V et al. 1989: 11, item 4 after Mr. Qumaruddin / Qamar-ud- Din). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1990: Between 1990.07.15 and 1990.09.03 this cave has not been visited by one or the other British sports caver but nevertheless may be the same cave as –>Zehri Cave, Huzda District (Kalat). The two relatively large cave entrances by the road near to Pandran village are reputed to give access to spacious cave chambers that contain remains or ancient artifacts. An unidentified The Village Chief (no name mentioned) is alleged to have a display of artefacts. The cave is possibly situated at a distance of 165 km along the road to the south of Quetta (Brooks, S J 1997 Mss: Pakitan Cave Database).tan Cave Database).